Shutter means for lamps.



' L. J. JQNES & G. R. MONROQ SHUTTER MEANS FOR LAMPS.

v APPLlCATlON FILED MAR. 15, 1916. I 1.21 5M9, Patented- Feb. 6, 1917.

2 suszrs-sussr 1.

INVE'NTURS L. 1. JONES & a. RF MONRO.

SHUTTER MEANS FOR LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED MML15, 1916.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-*SHEET 2 IN VE'N 'T'UHS I- i l l LLEWELLYNJ JONES AND GIBSON R. MONRO, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

SHUTTER MEANS ron LAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1991?.

Application filed March 15, 1916. Serial No. 84,335.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LLEWELLYN J. Jones and GIBsoN R. MONRO, citizens of the United States, and residents of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Shutter Means for Lamps; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to dimmer or shutter means for the light sources of lamps, and more particularly to means of this class for use in connection with headlamps of the electrically lighted type.

The primary object of our invention is the provision, in combination with an electric lamp, particularly of the incandescent type,

of means disposed interiorly of the lamp bulb, and operable from. without the same, to move into shutterin or obstructing relation to at least a portion of the light rays diffused from the lamp filament or light source so as to restrict the area of distribution of such rays.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description thereof.

While the invention in its broader aspect is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, two forms only thereof are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichi Figure 1 is a central section of a head lamp embodying one form of the invention with theshutter member in light ray obstructing position. Figs. 2 and 3 are rear and front views ofe the shutter means removed from the lamp. Figs. 4:, 5 and 6 are difierent enlarged views of a lamp bulb embodying the invention, with the shutter member in Fig. 5 shown in light ray obstructingposition Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of a head lamp embodying a different form of the invention, with the shutter member in light ray obstructing position.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a lamp bulb the line a2, :10 in Fig. 8, and Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the shutter member.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the outer shell, 2 the reflector inclosed therein, and 3 the incandescent lamp bulb of a head lamp, the lamp bulb having its plug portion inserted into the socket 4 carried by the reflector, as is well understood in the art. The lamp bulb 3 is provided interiorly thereof with a filament 5 of any suitable form, which is customarily carried in central position Within the bulb by a stem 6 of glass, or other suitable insulating material, projecting from the plug portion of lthe lamp. These features are all common to incandescent lamp bulbs of the type commonly used in connection with head lamps and need not therefore be specifically described.

Mounted on the stem 6- in preferably, but not necessarily, a removable manner, is a yoke 7 which, in the present instance, is in the form of a split ring with the ends thereof projecting outward in spaced parallel relation and connected by a screw 8 at the rear and a shaft 9 at the front sides thereof. The shaft 9, which is journaled for rotary movements in the leg portions of the yoke 7, is provided at one end thereof without the yoke 7 with a small pinion 10, which is fixed thereto, and also has an arm 11 fixedly projecting therefrom, in the present instance between the leg portions of the yoke case, the shutter part 12 when in operative or light obstructing position, as shownv in Figs. 1 and 5, permits the light rays to be directed upward against the top portion of the reflector 2 by which they are reflected downward from the head lamp instead of directly forward therefrom, thereby preventing the glare of the head lamp from blinding persons in advance of the same.

The screw 8, in addition to serving as a binding screw for the yoke 7, also forms a shaft for the sector pinion or segmental rack member 13, the teeth of which are in meshing engagement with the pinion 10. This sector pin has an arm 14 projecting downward from its lower rear portion. When the deflector member 12 is in its normal lowered or inoperative position, the arm 14 is swung forward into adjacent relation to the shutter part 12, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, and a rearward movement of the arm 14 from such position efi'ects an upward swinging of theshutter member into its operative or light obstructing position, as shown in Fig. 5. The raising movements of the shutter member 12 are preferably electrically controlled, and for such purpose the arm 14, in the present instance, is in the nature of an armature and an electric magnet 15 is disposed without the bulb 3 in adjacent relation to the rear side of the armature 14 so that an energizing of the magnet will attract and cause a rearward swinging of the armature 14 and a consequent raising of the shutter member 12 to operative light ray obstructing position, due to the rack and pinion connection therebetween. The magnet field 16 is in circuit with any suitable source of electrical supply through the wires 17, and a'switch (not shown) is also disposed in such circuit to permit an opening and closing of the same as it is desired to magnetize or demagnetize the magnet 15. The upward swinging movement of the shutter member is limited by reason of aportion of the arm 11 striking the end of the stem 6, as shown in Fig. 5. i

The form of invention illustrated in Figs. 7 to 11 is similar to that above described except that the armature, which in this form of the invention is designated 14, is disposed at one end of a rack-bar 13, which is in mesh with the pinion 10 that is carried by a stub-shaft 9 projecting from one side of the yoke or clamping member 7. The shutter 'member 12, in this case, is carried by a pair of arms 11*, one of which is fixed to one side of the pinion 10*, as shown in Fig. '10, for rocking movements therewith, while the other arm 11 is pivoted to a screw or stub-shaft 9 projecting from the opposite side of the yoke 7. The rack-bar 13 is retained in mesh with the pinion 10 by a guide member 18, which extends over the top or rear side of the rack-bar and has its leg portions pivo'tally mounted on the stub- ,shaft 9. The split portions of the yoke or clamping member 7 are secured together, in the present instance, by a screw 8. A

' pin 19 projects from one side of the yoke 7 in position to limit the lowering or down- .ward swinging movements of the armature carrying end of the rack-bar 13 The upper or forward end of the rack-bar 13 is provided with a head or enlargement 13 which coacts with the adjacent end of the guide 18 to limit the lowering or rearward movement of the rack-bar through the guide and the consequent upward swinging movement of the shutter member.

The lower or armature end of the rackbar 13 is disposed in adjacent relation to the magnet 15, which is carried by the reflector 2 so that an attracting of the armature by the magnet will cause a downward movement of the rack-bar and a consequent upward swinging of the shutter member 12 into position to limit, to a predetermined extent, the area of diffusion of the light rays from the light source 5.

In the assembling of the parts of an incandescent lamp equipped with our invention the shutter and other parts carried by the yoke member 7 are mounted, together with said yoke member, in position on the stem 6 before the latter is inserted into the lamp bulb through the opening provided therefor, such opening being of sufficient size to permit the insertion of the different parts therethrough. This having been done, the wall of the opening, if too large to receive the plug portion of the lamp, is drawn down to the desired size. If the form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8 is employed, the rack-bar 13 may be swung into parallel relation to the stem 6 to facilitate an insertion of the same into the lamp bulb.

It is evident that we have provided a simple and eflicient shutter mechanism, which is disposed in unobstructing position within the lampbulb and has its shutter part movable into and out of ray obstructing relation to the filament or light source 5, the controlling means therefor being preferably provided without the lamp.

We wish it understood that our invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous modifications or changes from the two forms illustrated without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.. In combination, an incandescent lamp, means interiorly of the lamp movable into and out of light obstructing position, and means operable without the lamp to control the movements of said first means.

2. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of means mounted interiorly thereof and having a part movable into and out of light obstructing position, and means operable to control the movements of said part.

3. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of a shutter member disposed within the lam normally in unobstructing relation to the light rays of the lamp, andjmeans operable to move said shutter. member into position to limit, to a predetermined extent, the area of difl'usion of rays from the light source of the lamp.

4.. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of means interiorly of the lamp movable into and out of light obstructing position with respect to the light source, and electrically controlled means for controlling the movements of said first means.

5. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of means interiorly of the lamp movable into and out of light obstructing rela-I tion to the light source thereof, and magnetic means controlled fromwithout the bulb for controlling the movements of said first means.

6; The combination with a light source and an inclosing member for said source through whichlight rays may project, of a shutter part disposed within said member and movable into and out'of light ray obstructing relation to said source, an armature disposed in said member, connection between said shutter part and armature to cause them to have movements in unison, and magnetic means controlled from without said member and operable to attract said armature and to communicate predetermined movements from it to said shutter part. K

7. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of means disposed within said lamp and magnetically operable from without the v same to move a part thereof into light ray obstructing relation to the light source of the lamp.

8. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of a shutter member mounted therein for movements into and out of light ray obstructing relation to the light source of the lamp and normally standing in unobstructing relation to the light source, and means having a control part without the lamp and .operable to move said shutter member into light ray obstructing position.

9. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of a shutter member disposed within the lamp and movable into and out of light ray obstructing relation to the light source of the lamp, and a control part disposed within the lamp and connected to said shutter member and operable from without the lamp to impart predetermined movements to the shutter member with respect to the light source.

10. An incandescent lamp having a shutter member mounted therein and movable into and out of light ray obstructing relation to the light source of the lamp.

11. An incandescent lamp having a shutter member pivotally mounted therein and movable into and out of light ray obstructing relation to its light source.

12; 'An incandescent lamp having a shuta ter member pivotally mounted therein and provided with a cup-like part for partially encompassing the lamp filament when said --member is in one position of its movement,

and means within the lamp operable to impart predetermined movements to said member.

14. The combination with a light source 1 and an inclosing part for said source, of a shutter member movably mounted in said inclosing part for movements into and out 'of predetermined ray obstructing relation to said source, and means disposed within said inclosing part in rack and pinion connection with said shutter member and operable to impart predetermined movements to said member.

15. The combination with a light source and an inclosing part for said source, of a shutter member movably mounted in said inclosing .part for movements into and out of predetermined ray obstructing relation to said source, means disposed within said inclosing part in rack and pinion connection with said shutter member and operable to impart predetermined movements to said member, and magnetic means without said inclosing part for attracting and imparting predetermined movements to said first means.

16. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of means mounted on the filament carrying stem. thereof and movable to place a shutter part into and out of predetermined light ray obstructing position with respect to the lamp filament.

17.. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of means carried by the filament supporting stem of the lamp, said means having a shutter part and a part in connection with the shutter part andmovable to impart predetermined movements to said shutter'part with respect to the lamp filament.

18. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of means carried within the lamp by the filament supporting stem thereof and having a shutter part movable into and out of predetermined relation to the lamp filament, and magnetic means operable to actuate said first means to impart predetermined movements to said shutter part.

19. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of means carried within the lamp by the filament supporting stem thereof having a shutter part movable into and out of predetermined relation to the lamp filadescent lamp and operable from without the same to reduce the effective area of diffusion of light rays from the incandescent lamp with respect to said reflector.

21. The combination with an incandescent lamp," of a shutter member mounted within the lamp for movements into and out, of light ray obstructing relation thereto, rack and pinion connection with said shutter, and means withost the lamp operable to impart movements to the rack member of said first means to communicate predetermined movements to said shutter. 22. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of a shutter member mounted within the lamp for movements into and out of light ray obstructing relation thereto, rack and pinion connection with said shutter, and magnetic means without the lamp operable to attract the rack member of said first means to communicate predetermined movements to said shutter.

23. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of meanscarried by the filament supporting stem of the lamp, said means having a, shutter part and meshing rack and pinion members in connection with said shutter part and movable to impart predetermined movements. to said shutter part withrespect to the lamp'filament, and means without the lamp operable to impart movements to said rack member.

24. The combination with an incandescent lamp, of means carried by the filament supporting stem of the lamp, said means having a shutter part normally standing in one position of its movement, and also having rack and pinion parts in connection with the shutter part andoperable to move it from normal to light obstructing position, and

magnetic means without the lamp for atpart from normal position.

tracting said rack part to move the shutter.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names to this specification.-

LLEWELLYN J. JONES; GIBSON R. MONRQ 

